Spinning-in device



Nov. 29, 1955 F: A. HOWELL ETAL SPINNING-IN DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1952 ATTORNEY United States Patent SPINNING-IN DEVICE Fred A. Howell, Candler, and James D. Rhea, Canton, N. C., assignors to American Enka Corporation, Enka, N. C., a corporation of Delaware Application November 5, 1952, Serial No. 318,822

7 Claims. (Cl. 137-1) This invention relates to the continuous treatment of filamentary material such as threads, filaments, fibers, yarns and the like, hereinafter generically described as threads, and more particularly, to an improved method and apparatus for use in a tube spinning system of the type described in application Serial No. 122,560, filed October 20, 1949.

In the tube spinning system described in the application above identified, threads to be treated are washed into a low pressure entry zone and from that zone are sucked into a tube containing a treating liquid which acts on the thread while mechanically propelling it through the tube. When the thread leaves a tube, the propelling liquid from that tube washes it into the low pressure entry zone of the next tube. This procedure continues until the thread has passed through an appropriate number of tubes to accomplish the desired Wet treatment.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the propelling and treating liquids from one tube, in carrying the thread to the low pressure entry zone of the next tube, may become admixed with the propelling and treating liquids of said next tube. The importance of this small admixture is dependent upon the liquids involved and the nature of the treatments being conducted. Thus in some cases it is much better to keep the liquids in the several tubes free of intermixture after spinning in. To this end the pro.- pelling liquid issuing from a tube and the thread issuing from that same tube must go in separate paths once the function of the liquid to direct the end of thread to the low pressure entry zone of "the next tube has been accomplished. Accordingly, a condition exists where during spinning in the thread and liquid together go to the low pressure entry of the next tube while, thereafter, the liquid goes in a direction different from that taken by the thread.

In application Serial No. 122,560, filed October 20, 1949, several forms of valve are shown to accomplish the objective of having the thread and liquid flow together during spinning in and separately thereafter. These valves are fully operative and function properly except that, during changeover while the course of the liquid stream is actually undergoing change, considerable splashing occurs.

It is an object of this invention to solve the splashing problem and, at the same time, to provide an improved changeover method and apparatus for a tube spinning system.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a valve and housing therefor constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a housing which supports the exit end 11 of a tube 12 of a tube spinning system and houses and supports the entry end 13 of the next tube 14 of the system. The liquid and the thread propelled thereby issue from a tube end 11 and are guided to a low pressure zone, as shown at 15 in Figure 2, to be sucked into the next tube 14 of the system by the action of a jet 16 axially aligned with but spaced from the wide mouth of the tube 14. The jet 16 is also supported by the housing 10. It will be noted that the exit end 11 of the tube 12 is horizontally offset from and above the low pressure entry zone 15. The housing 10 includes an internal partition 17 which extends vertically between the vertical plane of the exit end 11 and the vertical plane of the low pressure entry zone 15. ..This partition divides the housing into compartments A and Bwhich are separately drained by outlets 18 and 19, respectively. The outlet 18 lies directly vertically below the exit end 11 of the tube 12 and the outlet 19 lies directly below the low pressure entry zone 15. r

The apparatus as thus far described corresponds to that shown and described in application Serial No. 122,560 filed October 20, 1949. The deflector 20, however, is structurally diiferent from the deflectors of the prior application in several important respects that are hereinafter disclosed.

The deflector 20 is comprised of spaced sector shaped side walls 21 and 22 which are pivotally mounted within the housing 10 by a pin 23. Anarcuate-block 24 is held between the side walls 21 and 22 and that block defines an internal groove 25, the cross-section of which is apparent in Figure 1. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the groove 25 is regularly curved about the axis of the pin 23 with the result that the liquid thread path between the end 11 of the tube 12 and the zone 15 is a regular curve of constant radius. Furthermore, as can be seen in Figure 1, the end 11 lies about. as far to the left of the pivot 23 as the zone 15 lies below it so that to bridge the space between thev two the groove 25 extends some in arc.

From the foregoing it can be seen that liquid and thread issuing from the end 11 are guided by the groove 25 for about 90 of movement, preferably in an arc of constant radius whereupon the suction at zone 15 becomes eflective and the thread is drawn into tube 14. Most of the liquid issuing from tube 11 is discharged from outlet 19 although a little may mix at zone 15 with the liquid issuing from the jet 16. Also a little of the liquid from jet 16 may become admixed with the liquid falling from the lower end of the groove 25 and bedischarged through outlet 19. In any event once the thread has entered the tube 14 the operator turns deflector 20 in a clockwise direction from the full line to the broken line positions of Figure 2. When this is complete, all of the liquid issuing from the end 11 falls vertically downwardly to leave the housing through the outlet 18 while the thread, now under the tension caused by the propelling liquid in the tube 14, follows the broken line path of Figure 2.

The movement of the deflector from the full line position of Figure 2 to the broken line position thereof is accomplished with little or no splashing. It is apparent that the clockwise movement of the deflector does not bring about a change in the direction in which the stream issuing from the end 11 is guided during the time that the deflector is being moved. In other words, during most of the clockwise movement of the deflector 20, the stream issuing from the end 11 of the tube 12 is guided into a regular constant radius curve although the length in arc of the supporting groove 25 becomes progressively less. When the lower end of the groove 25 finally passes the end 11 of the tube 12 it is virtually parallel to the stream and a substantially instant and splash free transference of the stream from compartment B to compartment A results.

It can now be seen that by providing a liquid guiding channel extending 90 in are from the exit end of one tube to the entry end of the next tube by mounting the channel defining means to move about a pivot and by moving the channel toward the exit end of the upper tubes it is possible to accomplish a quick, splash free and convenient liquid transference once spinning in is accomplished.

This invention while of general utility as a deflector system is of particular value in the tube spinning of rayon as described in prior application 122,560 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In continuous spinning apparatus including a first tube for emitting a stream of liquid and having its exit end above but horizontally ofiset in respect to the entry end of a second tube, the improvement that comprises a deflector having an arcuate channel therein defining a liquid passageway from the exit end of said first tube to the entry end of the second tube and means mounting said deflector for pivotal movement to a position establishing a flow path between said exit and entry ends and a position in which said deflector is out of the path of said stream, a portion of said arcuate channel being substantially tangent to the path of the stream emitted from said exit end of said first tube during said movement.

2. In continuous spinning apparatus including a first tube for emitting a stream of liquid and having its exit end above but horizontally offset in respect to the entry end of a second tube, the improvement that comprises a deflector having an arcuate channel therein defining a liquid passageway from the exit end of said first tube to the entry end of the second tube and means mounting said deflector for pivotal movement to a position establishing a flow path between said exit and entry ends and a position in which said deflector is out of the path of said stream, a portion of said arcuate channel being substantially tangent to the path of the stream emitted from said exit end of said first tube during said movement, said exit end lying within the path of movement of said channel.

3. Continuous spinning apparatus comprising a first tube,.a secondtube, the .exit end of the first tube lying above the entry end of the second tube, a deflector having a groove therein extending for a distance substantially equal to the arc distance between said exit and entry ends, and means mounting said deflector for pivotal movement to a position in which the groove establishes a channel between said exit and entry ends and a position in which said deflector is out of the path of said channel, a portion of said groove being substantially tangent to the channel zone adjacent said exit end during said movement.

4. In continuous spinning apparatus including a first tube, a second tube, .a housing supporting the exit end of said first tube above and horizontally oifset with respect to the entry end of said second tube, and drains in said housing below both of said tube ends, the improvement that comprises a deflector having an internal groove and means mounting said deflector in said housing for pivotal movement to and from a position in which the internal groove establishes a flow path from said exit end to said entry end, said internal groove being curved on a constant radius and said mounting means being located at the center of the arc of said groove, said exit end lying within the path of arcuate movement of the groove, a portion of said groove being substantially tangent to the flow path from said exit end during said movement.

5. Continuous spinning apparatus comprising a first tube, a second tube, a housing supporting the exit end of said first tube substantially in are above the entry end of the second tube, drains in said housing below said tube ends, a deflector having an internal, arcuate groove of constant radius substantially equal in length to the arcuate distance between said ends and means mounting said deflector in said housing for arcuate movement to and from a position in which the internal groove establishes a flow path from said exit end to said entry end, the center of said mounting means being the center about which the groove is generated and the center of the 90 arc distance between said tube ends.

6. The method of diverting liquid flow that comprises initially supporting a liquid stream flowing vertically downwardly from a point of discharge through an arcuate path a portion of which is substantially tangent to the liquid stream flowing downwardly and progressively shortening the length of the arc of support extending from the point of discharge while successive portions of the arcuate path are substantially tangent to the liquid stream flowing downwardly whereby the stream may be restored to vertical fall from the point of discharge without substantial splashing.

7. The method of diverting liquid flow that comprises initially supporting a liquid stream flowing vertically downwardly from a point of discharge through a constant radius arc of substantially 90 a portion of said arc being substantially tangent to the liquid flowing downwardly and progressively shortening the length of the arc of support extending from the point of discharge while successive portions of the arcuate path are substantially tangent to the liquid stream flowing downwardly whereby the stream may be restored to vertical fall from the point of discharge without substantial splashing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 362,488 Bickton May 10, 1867 1,760,182 Stone May 27, 1930 2,182,378 Gunn a Dec. 5, 1939 2,183,677 Heath Dec. 19, 1939 2,422,352 Harper June 17, 1949 2,539,976 Samson Jan. 30, 1951 

